In His Eyes
by Matoko Shizaki
Summary: Seifer tries to commit suicide and Quistis catches him in the act. What happens when she has to make sure it doesn't happen again?
1. Part 1

In His Eyes- Part 1  
By Matoko Shizaki  
  
Disclaimer: FF8 © Square Soft.   
  
Notes: Alright, now I'm going to be a major spoiler. This is a Quistis/Seifer fic. I didn't write it in the description because it would give it away. But there you go. If you like Quistis/Seifer, read on. If not, you've been warned…  
  
Pairings: Quistis/Seifer, Rinoa/Squall, Selphie/Irvine.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Another paper flew from the stack that Quistis was carrying and she stopped to pick it up. Before she could grab the paper, she had to set down the entire stack. As soon as she did, the papers went all over and she groaned. 'Why do I always get stuck with the paper work?' she thought grudgingly as she gathered up the myriad pages of SeeD mission reports. A shout broke the silence of the hallway, making Quistis jump and knock the glasses from her face. She quickly replaced them and stood up only to hear another yell. "What was that?" she muttered.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Jerked up by his collar, the student had no choice but to gaze nervously into the bright blue eyes of Seifer Almasy, one third of the disciplinary committee. "Don't you know it's after the curfew?" Seifer growled.   
  
The student cringed and nodded, not daring to ignore the fighter. "Then why are you out?!" Seifer demanded again. Finally, the student found his voice.  
  
"I-I was just trying to--"   
  
"To what?!"   
  
"Find my book! I left it in this classroom this morning!"   
  
Seifer grinned recklessly. "Well I don't know about a fist but you sure found trouble, kid." Suddenly, his fist came down against the student's cheek just and he let go of him. The boy tumbled into a row of desks, knocking them over.   
  
"Seifer! Fuujin! Raijin! What are you all doing?" a voice demanded.   
  
The blond fighter turned to the voice, his two friends and partners in crime following his example. Standing in the doorway was Quistis Trepe, former teacher and SeeD.   
  
"Leave this boy alone! He has a good reason to be in here." Quistis said, pushing past the deadly trio to help the boy up. Personally, Seifer couldn't care less what the kid's reason was. Nobody told him what to do.  
  
"Hey, I don't take orders from you or anyone else! He was violating the curfew and as a member of the disciplinary committee, I had to carry out his punishment."  
  
"A black eye is the punishment for violating the curfew?" Quistis exclaimed as she ushered the boy out. "I think you should go back and check the rule book Seifer." This was replied by a grunt.   
  
"Rule book my ass…" Seifer muttered as Quistis escorted the boy to the infirmary.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
'Oh that Seifer! Who does he think he is?' Quistis thought as she hurried back from the infirmary. 'Picking on a kid younger then him. And for such a trivial reason! He needs a strict talking to.'   
  
Moths buzzed around the outside lamps, the flap of their wings the only sound on this lovely summer night. Taking a deep breath, Quistis relaxed and adjusted her glasses. She had been so busy grumbling that she hadn't even enjoyed the moonlit scenery. Everything in the garden looked like it was a pale blue, reflecting the moons light.   
  
But amongst the flowers, standing in one courtyard, was a figure. Standing tall and erect in the moonlight, it was obvious they had a muscular but thin figure. Their coat flapped in the summer breeze but they never broke there gaze from the moon. They only looked away when Quistis called out, "Hey, who is it? What are you doing out after curfew?" It was only when they looked over at her that she knew who they were. The flashing blue eyes, the scar, and the stern look. It was none other then Seifer.  
  
"Seifer. Of all people you'd be out after curfew. Even after you scolded that poor boy." Quistis complained as she approached, her hands on her hips.   
  
"Not you again…" Seifer grumbled. "What do you want?"   
  
"Explanations." Quistis said, now toe to toe with him. "Why are you so hard on these kids? Why is it that you hate everyone and everything?!"   
  
It was the first time Quistis realized the glint in Seifer's sly eyes. Even though his body was ridge and stiff, his eyes betrayed how he felt. She could see the anger and hurt rising in his eyes. Suddenly, she gasped as the tip of his gun blade was held in front of her neck.   
  
"Stay out of my business woman," Seifer said. It was obviously a threat. "Or next time you'll find this gun blade through your lovely neck." He recoiled the weapon, tucked into his belt, and left. Quistis still stood there, somewhat frightened. Only moments ago she could have been killed by the fighter dubbed as one of Balamb's deadliest.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"It's too early!" Zell complained, stifling back a yawn. Selphie nodded in agreement and looked out at Rinoa from under the side brim of Irvine's cowboy hat (which she had 'borrowed').   
  
"I know. Rinny, do you know why Squall decided to plan a meeting so early?"  
  
The black haired girl shrugged. "Not sure. Something about training… That's all I could get out of him."   
  
Irvine smirked. "Are you sure that's all you could get out of him?" Selphie removed the hat from her head and whacked Irvine in the arm with it.  
  
"Irvy!" Selphie scolded.   
  
"I was just joking Sephy!" Irvine replied.  
  
Quistis signaled for silence as Squall finally entered the room, dressed as he normally was. The early time didn't seem to influence him at all. He still worn his stern, quiet look.   
  
"Morning commander!" Zell chimed with a short salute. The others muttered similar greetings and Squall nodded to acknowledge them.  
  
"Good morning. I'm here to talk to you all about our training this after noon." Squall stated.   
  
"Aw no. Not training!" Irvine complained jokingly in a childish voice. Squall shot him a glare and he stopped.  
  
"Everyone will have a fighting partner, one with very different skills." Squall continued. "You'll both fight a rexsaur using teamwork."  
  
"Who are the partners?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"There's one group of three. There's Rinoa, Irvine, and Zell. Selphie, you're with me. And Quistis, you're with Seifer."  
  
Quistis groaned, tired of her sore luck. "He isn't here though." she exclaimed.  
  
"Don't worry, I told him. We'll all meet down in the training room at one. If you don't have your partner, you won't be fighting.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
She had been down there early and by now everyone had arrived in the training room… everyone that is but Seifer. "What a lazy bum…" Quistis mumbled, quite annoyed.  
  
"Figures that he wouldn't show, huh Quisty?" Irvine joked.  
  
"I know…" Quistis replied.   
  
"You're going to have to go find him." Rinoa told her friend. "But you better hurry. Squall's going to start soon."  
  
Quistis stole a glance at Squall who was polishing up his gun blade. "You're right. I'll be right back. If I'm not back in time to start, start without me." Rinoa nodded and Quistis hurried off to find room 150, Seifer's room.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Once more, Quistis knocked on the dorm room door. Still there was no response from anyone inside. "Seifer…" Quistis said. "Are you in there?" No one replied so Quistis began to jiggle the door knob. To her amazement, it was open. The door swung open, banging into several pizza boxes and magazines that were behind the door. Quistis poked her head in but still didn't see anyone.  
  
"Hey, are you in here?" she demanded. The SeeD entered, closed the door behind her, and approached the kitchen counter. "Seifer?" Her hands shifted along the counter and she jumped back in surprise as her hand hit something wet.  
  
Recoiling her hand, she ventured a look at what was on it. To her disbelief, her hand was scarlet red with blood. "Oh my god…" she muttered. Sitting there on the counter was Seifer's gun blade, its silver blade stained with blood freshly drawn.   
  
"Seifer!" Quistis shouted. This wasn't the welcoming she had expected. Ignoring the gun blade, she poked her head into one room. It was trashed completely. The bed wasn't made, clothes were thrown about, dirty magazines lay on the bed, and several text books were scattered around. 'This must be Raijin's room…' Quistis thought.   
  
The next room had to be Seifer's.  
  
"H-Hello?" Quistis stammered as she looking into the next room. It was just as messy as the other, without the dirty magazines. But then there was the prominent red stain on the wooden floor…  
  
Her eyes followed the trail of blood to the corner of the room where a figure sat, frozen as if they were a statue. It was Seifer. The sleeves of his white trench coat were rolled up to his elbows and his black gloves were removed. He would have usually yelled at her to get out but for some reason he was silent, his stunning blue eyes transfixed on his hands. That's when Quistis noticed the streams of blood running down his arms from his wrists. She immediately knew what he had done.  
  
"Seifer!? What's the matter with you?!" Quistis hollered, rushing over and kneeling down next to the blond man. He frowned.   
  
"What are you doing here? Don't touch me!" he ordered as Quistis grabbed his wrist.   
  
"I'm trying to save your life." she exclaimed. Quickly, she tore strips from the bottom of her skirt and bound Seifer's wrists before he lost any more blood. "What were you thinking? Why would you slit your wrists?" she muttered, horrified.   
  
Seifer looked up at her, the weakness showing in his eyes. "Why would you care?" he retorted.   
  
"I'm not going to let you sit here and bleed to death!" Quistis said, helping him to his feet. He didn't struggle because he was too weak from blood loss. In fact, he was so fatigued that he nearly collapsed back to the floor. Quistis slipped his right arm over her shoulder and held it in place. With her free hand, she gripped his waist.   
  
"Let's get you to the infirmary." she said.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Whispers streamed down the halls as Quistis struggled through the hordes of students while trying to support Seifer at the same time. Questions streamed into her ears but she ignored them.  
  
"What's wrong with Seifer?"  
  
"Was he attacked?"  
  
"Did he face Squall again?"  
  
It didn't even seem to cross anyone's mind that he had attempted suicide…  
  
"Seifer's just sick." Quistis would reply over and over again. "I'm just getting him to the infirmary. All the while, Seifer kept dead silent. Whether it was from shame or from exhaustion, Quistis couldn't tell. She just kept going, hoping that he would last.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Since classes had begun, the hallways were outright empty without a student in sight. By now, Quistis was tired and growing impatient. Seifer needed to get to the infirmary otherwise he would die. At the moment, he wasn't quite far from that point. "Seifer… just… hold on." Quistis whispered as she tried to get a sturdy grip on him. In her exhaustion, she tripped, sending herself and Seifer to the floor only a foot apart.  
  
As she tried to pick herself up, she heard a chuckle. "Why do you even bother? Who's going to miss me…?" Seifer muttered. Quistis regained her footing and scowled.  
  
"That is the most selfish thing I have ever heard anyone say Seifer Almasy! You think you serve no purpose so you think it's okay to just go and do this?!" She stumbled over to where Seifer lay and helped him up. "We need you. Your our friend…" Quistis paused wondering if 'friend' was the right word to use. "Whether you like it or not you are! You're also our partner, another fighter here at the Garden!" Gripping tight to his waist, she continued the slow trudge to the infirmary.  
  
"I won't let you die…" she muttered.   
  
"You're a stubborn chick aren't you…?" Seifer chuckled weakly.   
  
"Like hell."   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
The nurse bustled to the door, eager to answer the door. When she did open it, in came Quistis, hauling an unconscious Seifer with her.   
  
"My! What happened?!" she asked.  
  
"He slit his wrists." Quistis replied grimly as she help lay Seifer on the examining table.   
  
"Oh dear… not again…" the nurse mumbled as she removed the makeshift bandages from Seifer's wrists.  
  
"Again?" The nurse nodded.   
  
"He has more hate for himself than anyone I've ever seen."  
  
Quistis glanced down onto the troubled and weakened face that was once so proud and dignified. Normally she only had bad thoughts considering Seifer but now she could find nothing but pity in her heart for him. She held his hand tightly even though she knew it wouldn't provide any comfort.   
  
"Here. Can you hand me that bag over there?" the nurse asked, pointing to a bag sitting on the table next to Quistis. She nodded and handed it over Seifer to the nurse who produced a surgical needle, sterilized thread, and rubbing alcohol from it. The nurse quickly donned rubber gloves and began the grisly task of sewing together the slashes in Seifer's wrists.  
  
"What did he slit them with?" she asked Quistis.  
  
"His gun blade."  
  
"Hm… I figured. It looks like it was a very clean cut. Done quickly. It's completely straight too."  
  
Quistis cringed. It sounded as if the nurse was admiring how exact the cuts were like it was nothing. She could feel her palms began to sweat as she held tight to Seifer's other hand. Strangely, being there gave her a sense of comfort that everything would be alright.  
  
The nurse finished her work quickly and precisely and then shooed Quistis from the side she was on. "Dear, can you bandage that wrist while I sew this one up? Thank you."  
  
Quistis removed the gauze from the medical bag the nurse had requested and began bandaging his hand and wrist slowly. Upon examining the nurse's handiwork, she realized that the cut was perfectly straight. The stitches she put in were so well done that it seemed she had done it many times before.   
  
'Just how many times has he tried this?!' Quistis thought. As the nurse finished the other wrist, she looked up and decided to ask.  
  
"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, how many times before has Seifer done this? I'm sure our commander will want to know."   
  
The nurse sighed, cut the thread, took the gauze from Quistis, and began bandaging that wrist. "Well… if you were to look at the records the student council has, he hasn't at all. Our files and Headmaster Cid's files say differently." She seemed to be avoiding the question. Finally she gave Quistis a straight answer. "Three times." Quistis tried to stifle back her gasp but was unsuccessful. "The first time," the nurse continued. "His roommate caught him in the act. He only slit one wrist. He arrived early enough. Same with the second time. Both times he was severely upset with his roommate."  
  
"Raijin…" Quistis muttered under her breath.  
  
"This time," The nurse studied Seifer's pained face. "He'll need a transfusion. We'll have to get him into our OR now."   
  
As soon as Quistis helped the nurse transfer Seifer from the examining table to the gurney, Quistis asked, "Is there somewhere I can wait until you're done?"  
  
"Yes, just down the hall." the nurse said, pointing in the opposite direction of the OR.  
  
"Thank you." Quistis replied with a nod of her head.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
The phone in Zell's room rang, cutting off the punch line of Irvine's joke. "Wait a second guys…" Zell said, getting up to answer it. On his way to the room, he finished his pizza in two great bites.   
  
"Hello? Room 600. Zell Dincht, king of fighting, speaking!" Zell joked. Apparently his guests in the other room heard and began shouting.  
  
"King my ass!" Irvine shouted.  
  
"Zell, you have ego problems!"   
  
"More pizza Dincht!"   
  
"Aw shut up you guys!" Zell retorted. Then he turned back to the phone. The person on the other line giggled.  
  
"Hey Zell, it's Quistis."  
  
"Yo Quistis! Where were you during training? We started without you."  
  
"There was…" She paused. "An emergency I needed to attend to."   
  
"Like what?" Zell pressed.   
  
"Seifer… it's nothing. Is Squall there? I need to talk to him."   
  
"Nope. He isn't. But you're going to tell me what's up!"   
  
"Zell… I can't. It's confidential."  
  
"I won't tell a soul!" Zell switched the phone to his other ear. "Cross my heart and hope to die."   
  
Quistis sighed. "Fine. Seifer slit his wrists and I was the first to find him. I'm down in the infirmary. He just had a blood transfusion and I'm waiting for him to wake up."  
  
Even in such a serious time, Zell couldn't help but joke around. "I knew that guy had issues but…"   
  
"It's not funny Zell. He just barely survived."  
  
"Alright, alright. Sorry. You've been there the whole time?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"If you get a chance, stop by. Everyone but the commander is here and we've got pizza!"   
  
Quistis chuckled. "Alright Zell, I'll stop by. I've got to go. Talk to you later."   
  
"Bye!" Zell hung up and turned back to the kitchen. Selphie was seated on the counter and helping herself to another slice of extra cheese pizza.  
  
"So, who was it?"  
  
"Quistis."   
  
"What did she say?" Selphie asked smoothing out her skirt.  
  
"Uh… nothing. She just got a little sick and is back in her room. She doesn't want to be disturbed but she's dropping by later."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Coins fell into the deposit as Quistis hung up the pay phone. With a sigh, she sat back down to await Seifer's awakening. It had been over two hours and she was still sitting here. Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone clearly their throat.   
  
"Miss?" It was the nurse's assistant, a young girl about thirteen years old. "Miss, I've been told to tell you that your friend is awake."   
  
"Thank you." Quistis said with a warm smile.  
  
"Um… this way." the assistant said, motioning for Quistis to follow her.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"What is it?" Seifer growled in response to the knock on the door of his infirmary room. He wasn't in the greatest mood. He was still alive, he had an annoying IV needle in his arm, and his head hurt like hell. On top of that, everyone kept bugging him. And now there was another disturbance.   
  
The door opened and the biggest annoyance, the young assistant, poked her head in. "Mr. Seifer. There's someone here for you." she stammered.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Send them in." Seifer mumbled. Quistis pushed past the assistant, who hurried away from the room.   
  
"Well, you're back to normal aren't you?" she asked.  
  
"Shut up." Seifer said rubbing his temples. "My head is killing me and you're not helping!"   
  
Quistis chuckled and crossed her arms across her chest. "It's better than being dead." she mused.   
  
"That's what you think." Seifer retorted.   
  
"Think… No, I know." Quistis said taking a seat next to his bed.  
  
"And who said that you could sit down and stay?! Does this look like a tea party or something?" Seifer shouted.   
  
Knowing that she was unwanted, Quistis stood up and headed for the door. "Fine, I'll go." she muttered.  
  
"Uh… wait!" Seifer stammered. Quistis turned around and looked at him.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Well… I just wanted to say…" He paused and the young and frivolous tone left his voice. "Just stay out of my business! You don't know my reasons for my actions."  
  
"Why don't you tell me then?" Quistis urged.  
  
"You don't remember anything from childhood because of the GFs! Since I stopped using them, I've begun remembering things. I knew I wasn't that liked from the beginning but this confirmed my suspicions. When I was little, my father left me. My mother then became an abusive drunk. She abandoned me one day and I was stuck fending for myself. Then I was taken to an orphanage… the same one as you and the others! Matron, our so called care taker, didn't want me there either… You can't possibly know what it's like to not be wanted anywhere!" Seifer ended his sentence with a snarl, on that made his firm voice crack a little.  
  
"You know what Seifer," Quistis said. "You're right. I don't know what it's like. That's not a good enough reason though to kill yourself. By doing that, you just prove the fact that no one will miss you. Because no one will get to know you and your death will be in vain." Quistis opened the door and closed it behind her as she left.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
A knock on the door interrupted Squall from polishing the blade of his gun blade. Zell was asleep on the couch and unable to answer the door. With a sigh, the SeeD commander stood up and opened the door, welcoming the visitor in.  
  
"Zell told me about Seifer." Squall told Quistis.  
  
"That's good."   
  
Squall ran a hand through his brown bangs. "This is a problem. We need him, as much as I hate to say it. He's my rival but we can't just let him take his own life."  
  
"What do you propose we do?" Quistis asked adjusting her glasses.  
  
"Are you up for a challenge?" Squall replied. Quistis nodded so her commander continued. "I want you to stay with Seifer. In the same dorm. Make sure he doesn't do anything to himself."   
  
"What about Raijin?"   
  
"I'll make arrangements to get him a separate dorm. You'll move into his room. I'm sure Headmaster Cid will be more then glad to lend us a hand with this."  
  
"Hopefully I'll be of some help."  
  
Squall laid a hand on Quistis' shoulder. "I'm sure you will be."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Midnight… that's what the clock said. Normally she'd be fast asleep but Quistis sat up, fully awake. Whether it was Seifer or her mission, she couldn't tell. But the only thing on her mind were those eyes… those amazing blue eyes Seifer had. The ones that revealed the secrets he had struggled to contain for years.  
  
In his eyes she saw a hurt little boy, lonely and staving on the streets. She saw hurt, agony, and loneliness. But she was going to change all that. Change that look… in his eyes.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Christ was that long! I've been dying to post this but I decided to extend on it. This won't be a very long story. It's my first FF8 one so go easy on me. All flames and comments will be accepted at Kuwabara_Fangirl@yahoo.com. If you want to talk to me personally, IM me at Kuwabara Fangirl on AIM.   
  
By the way, anyone want to request a fic? These are my only guidelines:  
  
Series:  
  
Yu Yu Hakusho  
Inu Yasha  
Final Fantasy VIII  
  
Genres:   
  
Action/Adventure  
Comedy  
Romance  
  
Other:   
  
I will do Yaoi if the coupling makes sense but I will not do Yuri. Sorry! 


	2. Part 2

In His Eyes- Part 2  
By Matoko Shizaki  
  
Disclaimer: FF8 © Square Soft. If I could own one of them though, it would be Zell. All the way! He's entertaining and cute! Not to mention hyper… What more could you want?   
  
Notes: Last part was really long huh? About ten pages with my computer. I figured I'd make the chapters longer and make about three chapters a.k.a. parts.   
  
Pairings: Quistis/Seifer, Rinoa/Squall, Selphie/Irvine.  
  
By the way, anyone want to request a fic? These are my only guidelines:  
  
Series:  
  
Yu Yu Hakusho  
Inu Yasha  
Final Fantasy VIII  
  
Genres:   
  
Action/Adventure  
Comedy  
Romance  
  
Other:   
  
I will do Yaoi if the coupling makes sense but I will not do Yuri. Sorry!  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Warm water trickled over Seifer's weary face. He welcomed the relaxation openly. After a week in the infirmary and having spent one full day as Quistis' roommate, he needed a break. His day hadn't been as enjoyable as he hoped…  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Seifer! Get up! You're going to be late!" Quistis called from the kitchen.   
  
"Quit your whining. I'm coming…" Seifer groaned as he hauled himself out of bed. Only dressed in boxers, her quickly pulled on his pants and ventured into the kitchen. Quistis was leaning on the counter reading the paper when he came in. The usual mess had been cleaned up the night before when Quistis moved in so he no longer had the luxury of finding a breakfast of cold pizza. Besides, he had lost his appetite with all this cleaning. The first thing he did was pour himself a cup of coffee.  
  
"Squall's going to give us our orders today! We have a new mission." Quistis said from behind the paper.  
  
"Why would I care?" Seifer mumbled. "That asshole… he makes me sick. Always such a goody-two-shoes."   
  
"Shut up. He's your superior and you're going to have to like it." Quistis mused as she rolled up the paper.  
  
"I don't take orders from anyone!" Seifer shouted, spilling some of his coffee onto the floor.  
  
Soon he found a rolled up newspaper jammed into his face. "You're going to have to take orders sometime!" Quistis shook the paper at him and tossed it onto the counter. "It's no wonder you failed the SeeD testing so many times."  
  
"Hey, I was the best candidate they had!"  
  
"Oh yeah, someone who doesn't follow orders, who's arrogant, selfish, and an overall jerk. Sure… enduring SeeD qualities."  
  
Seifer scoffed. "I'm going…" he said, heading back to his room. As soon as he was fully dressed, he headed out the door towards the gardens.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"I can't believe Seifer's not here yet, you know." Raijin said as he tore up another blade of grass to entertain himself.  
  
"Remember… Quistis. His roommate." Fuujin muttered.   
  
"Yeah… she's really annoying, you know!"   
  
"As are you."   
  
"I am not, you know!"   
  
"Would you two shut up?! You're giving me a headache."  
  
Fuujin and Raijin turned to meet the cold gaze of their partner in crime and leader of the disciplinary committee, Seifer.  
  
"What took you so long, you know?" Raijin asked.   
  
"I said… shut up." Seifer groaned. "We need to make our rounds."  
  
"What about SeeD training?" Fuujin asked coldly.  
  
"Screw that. I've more important things then to take orders from that inept leader wannabe…" Without another word, he stalked off with Fuujin and Raijin trailing behind him.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
It was three in the afternoon, time for classes to be letting out, and the SeeDs' main unit stood in an empty classroom discussing their plans. Rinoa finished reading over the briefing and looked up at Squall.  
  
"So when are we leaving for the mission?" she asked.   
  
"A week." Squall replied. "At the most." he added. "It could be tomorrow."  
  
"That's good! It'll be like a vacation!" Selphie chimed.  
  
"A well deserved vacation." Zell commented. Suddenly, the door opened and all heads turned to notice Seifer standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Zell demanded.   
  
"Relax chicken wuss. I'm a SeeD too you know… well, this mission is my SeeD testing. This is a SeeD briefing." Seifer replied, grinning with satisfaction to know that his presence bothered Zell.   
  
"You're late Seifer." Squall commented coldly.  
  
"So what if I am?" Seifer retorted, turning to his rival.  
  
"Listen, you're under my orders. The orders were to be here on time." Squall hissed through clenched teeth.   
  
"No one… but no one… orders me around." Seifer growled.   
  
"Until now." Squall muttered. Then he turned to the others. "I want you to read over the briefing and be ready to leave at anytime."   
  
"Right." Irvine muttered.   
  
"You can go." Squall sighed. The briefing was over.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
It was a silent walk back to Seifer and Quistis' room. The silence was finally broken when Quistis lifted her head to look at Seifer.   
  
"Why do you have to be resistant of everything anyone tells you to do?" she asked.  
  
"Because…" Seifer said calmly. "I'm my own man. I rule my life and no one else."  
  
"Does it look like we're trying to rule your life?"   
  
"Yes." Seifer sped up, hopeful to reach the room before Quistis. Suddenly, something hit the back of his head hard. He lurched forward, stumbling a little, and then turned angrily on his roommate.  
  
"What the hell?!"   
  
"Read that. Maybe you'll actually help us with this mission instead of being a total pain in the ass!" Quistis retorted, turning on her heel and heading down the other hallway.   
  
Seifer picked the briefing up off the ground and glared at it. "Fine…" he shouted to Quistis.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
He turned off the water and seized the towel hanging on the same bar as the shower curtain. Quickly, he rubbed his short blond hair dry and then wrapped the towel around his waist. Mist cleared as he opened the door and stepped into his room. Lying there on the bed as if waiting for him was the briefing.   
  
Seifer sighed and sat down on the bed, giving in to his curiosity. After all, curiosity killed the cat, not Seifer Almasy. He flipped open the cover of the packet and began reading.  
  
"Recently a war between rival cities Pollex and Castor has began to become reality. Due to the fighting, an emissary has been sent from each city to discuss peace. Tiril Gambia is the emissary from Pollex. Several times her life has been threatened by rebels in Castor. Their last attempt at her life was almost successful…"  
  
"Boring…" Seifer muttered. He scrolled down the pages and continued reading. Right there in the middle of the page was a picture of Tiril Gambia, Pollex's emissary.   
  
"Holy shit…" Seifer muttered. "She looks just like Quistis!" His curiosity had been ignited and he read on.  
  
"Quistis shall be posing as Tiril Gambia while the real emissary is taken into protective custody. Seifer shall serve as her 'body guard' while the rest of us monitor any advances from the rebels. If they take the bait and try to harm Quistis, we'll be there to stop them and capture the leaders."   
  
Suddenly Seifer stopped, his head jerking up. There was the sound of keys jingling in the lock and the door opening. Quickly, Seifer threw aside the briefing, removed his towel, and donned a pair of pants before peering out into the kitchen.  
  
It was completely dark. All Seifer could see was the figure's outline. The curves, the thin but slightly muscular build, the flowing hair… There was no doubt in his mind that Quistis was back.  
  
"Where were you?" he asked coldly.   
  
"Out." Quistis replied with a sharp tone to her calm voice. She removed her coat and hung in on the chair.   
  
"Out where?" Seifer pressed.  
  
"None of your business." Quistis told him. Suddenly she turned to face him. "Did you read the briefing?"  
  
"Yeah…" Seifer mumbled.  
  
"What do you think?" she asked.  
  
"What should I think?" Seifer replied.  
  
"I'm not sure…" Quistis muttered. She opened the fridge, grabbing the carton of milk. With her left foot, she closed it again and opened a cabinet overhead to retreve a glass. "But I just talked to Squall. We're leaving early then expected since there have been further assassination attempts."  
  
"When?" Seifer asked leaning against the counter. Quistis took a sip of milk, wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, and then looked up.  
  
"Tomorrow." she replied casually.  
  
"Great… just great…" Seifer muttered under his breath as he strolled back into his room.  
  
"Orders were to pack tonight! You should've!" Quistis mused.  
  
"And I give a shit?!" Seifer roared in return.  
  
He slammed his door shut and then headed for his dresser. After clearing away a few empty beer bottles, Seifer opened the top drawer. In a flurry of clothes, he tossed what he was bringing onto his bed. Once that was done, he rummaged through the bottom drawer and finally found his duffel bag. Without folding anything, he stuffed it all into the bag and zipped it up. In one of the outside pockets he stashed his wallet and CD player. After wrapping it in cloth, he placed his gun blade in. "Dammit… dumb mission…" he grumbled to himself. He picked up the bag, testing how heavy it was, and then threw it against the door.   
  
Rummaging through his remaining drawers, it was almost impossible to find a t-shirt. Finding a black one, he was satisfied and stripped down to his boxers. He threw on the shirt before flopping down onto the bed.  
  
Slowly the door opened and Quistis came in to see Seifer reclining back on the bed, his arms folded behind his back and his eyes focused on the ceiling. Despite his ease, he was still very observant. "What do you want?" he asked.   
  
Quistis didn't answer, only leaned on the door frame. After several moments of tense silence, Seifer sat up. "If you have something to say, say it!" he ordered. The blond SeeD sighed.  
  
"Why do you always have to be so cold?" she asked. There was a curious glint in her beautiful eyes, a glint that made Seifer uncomfortable. Her eyes… they made him feel like he would tell her anything.  
  
"Because," he said, lying back down. "No one gives a shit about me. Why should I give a shit about them?"   
  
"That's not true." Quistis said. "If people got to know you better maybe they would care more."   
  
She had got him on that one. He knew she was right… and he hated it. Instead, he kept silent. Silence had always been his best way out.   
  
"Since we're going to be…" Quistis paused. "…'working together' for a while, I thought that maybe…" she trailed off but Seifer filled in for her.  
  
"Get to know each other. A sappy bonding session." he muttered.  
  
"Uh… yeah. I guess you could call it that."   
  
"Hn…" Seifer muttered. "Whatever. There's nothing to say." Before Quistis could answer, he rolled over onto his side so his back faced.   
  
"Everyone's right about you." Quistis muttered. "You are an asshole."   
  
Seifer turned back, his teeth clenched and lips curled back for a sharp retort but she had already left and close the door. "Bitch…" he muttered, turning off the lights.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
CLANG!!!  
  
Quistis sat up with a jolt and looked around her room. No one was there…  
  
CLANG!!!  
  
There it went again! Quistis' fingers fumbled as she picked up her glasses and put them on. The sound must've been coming from the kitchen. She flung the covers off and stood up before jumping again.  
  
CLANG!!!  
  
"DAMMIT!!" someone in the kitchen yelled. It had to be Seifer.   
  
The door swung open with ease and Quistis stood there, watching as Seifer fumbled around through the pots and pans muttering something like, "All I want is a fuckin omelet! Is that too much to ask for?!"   
  
"You know," Quistis said adjusting her glasses. "The frying pan is in that cupboard." She pointed to the only one Seifer hadn't ransacked.  
  
"Look who's up." Seifer grumbled. "Little Miss 'You're Going To Be Late'!"  
  
"What time is it?" Quistis asked. Seifer removed the pan he had sought for so long and slammed it down on the stove. He turned on the burner, igniting flames around the bottom of the pan.  
  
"Nine."   
  
"Oh my gosh! We're leaving in an hour!" Quistis gasped, catching her glasses before they fell off her face.  
  
"Chill." Seifer cracked an egg with one tap against the side of the pan. "Your happy little commander called. We're not going for two hours." Another egg plopped onto the pan, making a loud sizzling noise. He turned, opening the fridge with his foot, and removed a bag of shredded cheese.   
  
Quistis sighed, removed her glasses, and polished them on her baggy t-shirt. "That's good…" she muttered. Still weary from the startling awakening, she flopped down into a chair at the table. Even with head lying on the table, she could hear the sound of sizzling as Seifer transferred the omelet from pan to plate and turned off the burner.   
  
The legs of the chair scraped the floor as Seifer pulled back his chair and sat down. He tossed a handful of silver ware onto the table and Quistis could hear him rummaging through the pile. Suddenly, she felt something pushed up against her arm. She looked up and a plate with half an omelet was sitting in front of her. Seifer had already dug into the rest.  
  
"For me?" Quistis asked, eying the omelet hungrily.   
  
"Yeah," Seifer muttered around bites of egg. "But it's not like I made the other half for you. I just don't happen to be that hungry."   
  
Grateful, Quistis grabbed a fork and began eating. Surprisingly, Seifer was a fairly good cook. Half way through her meal, Seifer cleared his place and headed back to his room to change. She soon followed the example and returned to get dressed.  
  
Lying out on the floor was her SeeD uniform, one she had set out the night before. She dressed quickly, keeping her eyes on the clock. "One hour…" she muttered. After dressing, she gave into her neat habits and made the bed, folded the t-shirt and underwear she had slept in, and watered the small plants she had lining her windowsill. Without anything else to do, she just laid back on the bed and waited… waited for the call that would start their mission.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"You know, the briefing read 'body guard', not 'pack mule'." Seifer grumbled as he hefted Quistis' bag onto his other shoulder.   
  
"It's just for a moment Seifer…" Quistis said, locking the door to their room. Seifer growled and dropped her bag in the hall. As soon as the room was locked up, Quistis picked up her bag and followed the tall blond knight down the hall to the Garden entrance.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Hey Selphie! That's my hat!!" Irvine chuckled, swiping at her head to retrieve his priceless accessory.   
  
"C'mon Irvy! You know it looks better on me!" Selphie squealed.   
  
"Heh you wish…" he muttered playfully, giving her a noogie.   
  
Meanwhile, Zell and Squall had finished loading the luggage into back of the van provided for their travels. Zell dusted off his hands on his SeeD jacket and sighed. "When are we leaving, Squall?" he asked.  
  
"Any minute now. We're just waiting for Quistis and…" Squall frowned before muttering, "Seifer." through clenched teeth.   
  
Rinoa poked her head out from inside the van. "Hey Squall," Squall looked up immediately upon hearing his name. "Aren't we supposed to have more supplies? Where's all the technical junk?"  
  
"Sent ahead. It's being held at our rendezvous point."   
  
Rinoa nodded and went to step out of the open doors at the back of the van. Having missed the bumper, she slipped and stumbled out. It was Squall who lashed out and caught her by the waist. "You ok?" he asked, a strange glint in his calm blue eyes.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine." Rinoa replied with a smile. A whistle from behind them caused them to immediately part.   
  
"Aw you two make such a cute couple." It was Seifer. He was standing there, his bag slung over his shoulder. Quistis was coming up behind him, toting her bag as well. "You guys should get married." Seifer added as he pushed past Squall and threw his bag into the van.   
  
"Jealous, Seifer?" Rinoa asked, her hands placed on her hips. Seifer turned, and smiled. He raised a hand and traced his fingers down her cheek.   
  
"You wish, babe." His hand was slapped away and he chuckled. "You two better not have some fun on this mission, if you know what I mean."  
  
Quistis shoved Seifer from behind after placing her bag in the back. "Leave them alone, Seifer." she ordered.  
  
"Can't anyone take a joke here?" Seifer asked, turning to the other SeeD with a broad, fanged smirk. Sour faces were his reply. "Hn. What a bunch of losers…" he muttered.   
  
"Alright, time to go." Squall ordered. Zell perked up, a smile creasing his face.  
  
"I call driver's seat!" he cried. He made a mad dash for the door but Irvine grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.   
  
"You wish cowboy. I'm driving."   
  
Squall pushed past them. "No I'm driving. Kinneas, you can sit up front and help me navigate. Dincht, you're in back. Same with everyone else."   
  
Irvine flashed Zell a victorious smile while the blond pouted and climbed into the back. He was soon followed by Selphie, Rinoa, and Quistis. Seifer stood there, watching as Squall climbed into the driver's seat.   
  
"Didn't you hear the orders, Seifer?" Squall asked, meeting his rival's cold gaze. "In back."   
  
"Why do you get to drive?" Seifer asked, looking for a fight.   
  
"Because." Squall said, closing the door. "I'm the squad leader."   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Zell's ears clamped over his ear and he groaned. "Aw c'mon Kinneas! That country music is total shit!"   
  
"If you don't like it, don't listen." Irvine shouted over his shoulder. Then he turned back to studying the map in his lap.   
  
"Where are we headed again?" Selphie asked, getting out of her seat and glancing over Irvine's shoulder at the map.   
  
"Right here…" Irvine tapped the small dot on the map. "Castor."   
  
"Ooh! That's a cool name!" Selphie chirped.  
  
"It's the name of one of the twins that makes the constellation Gemini." Rinoa explained from in back. "Legend has it that the twins were close and one was a god, the other a mortal. When then mortal one died, the god one sacrificed his life to be with his brother. The other gods were so touched they put them in the stars." By this time, she was meditatively looking up at the ceiling of the van as it rattled on down the road.   
  
"Who gives a shit?"   
  
Rinoa shot a glare over in Seifer's direction. He was sitting on the other side of the van, legs up on the divider between the two sections of the seats. His head was tilted back, eyes shut, and arms crossed. He looked bored already.   
  
"Shut up Seifer." Rinoa growled. She turned to Zell and whispered, "I can't believe we're stuck with him for the entire mission. It's too bad we didn't leave him behind." Zell nodded in agreement but didn't look up from staring out the window.   
  
After sudden silence, Squall reached up and changed the radio station. "What did you do that for, man?" Irvine asked, looking up from the map.   
  
"Zell has a point." Squall said, eyes on the road. "That stuff is shit."   
  
"Told ya so!" Zell shouted from the back.   
  
"Then what kind of music do you suggest, chicken wuss? Oldies?" Seifer asked.   
  
"What's it to you, Seifer?" Zell replied.  
  
"Just wanted to know if you were more of a loser then I originally thought." Seifer retorted. He wasn't reclined back now but sitting up, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.   
  
"I'm not a loser! I could kick your ass any day!" Zell shouted.  
  
He suddenly regretted his words because of the dangerous glint in Seifer's eyes. "Is that so? You really want to become shish kabob on the end of my gun blade?"   
  
Zell swallowed hard. "W-Who said I'd be the one speared?!"  
  
As the argument went on, Quistis looked across the bus as Rinoa, catching her gaze. The look in Rinoa's eyes literally said, "This is going to be a long ride."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Ammo?"   
  
"Check."  
  
"Potions?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"COM systems?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Security cameras?"  
  
"Check. That's all of it." Quistis sat the clip board down on the desk in the hotel room.   
  
"Good." Zell flopped down onto the other bed. "So…" he said, running his hands through his hair. "You're sharing the other room with Seifer?"  
  
"Yeah…" Quistis muttered. "Rinoa and Selphie have this one."   
  
"Heh. Lucky you!" Zell laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Hope you survive."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Suddenly, the hotel room door opened and Selphie came in. "Hey guys! Done with the inventory check?"  
  
Zell sat up. "Yeah. They done installing the security cameras?"   
  
The brunette nodded. "Yup."   
  
There was a sudden grumble and Zell clutched his stomach. "Man! I'm starving!" he complained.   
  
"That's why I suggested to the commander that we go out somewhere… fun for dinner." It was Irvine. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his cowboy hat tilted back so you could see the mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
"Where Irvy?" Selphie asked excitedly.   
  
"Just some bar across the way." the cowboy replied, straightening up.   
  
"Irvine!"   
  
Irvine stuck his head back out into the hallway to meet Squall's annoyed but defeated gaze. "Yeah commander?" he questioned, tipping his hat at him.  
  
"Just so long as no one gets drunk…" Squall muttered wandering across the hall to the room where him, Irvine, and Zell were staying.  
  
"Good call Kinneas." Seifer said from his room. "A little boozing never harmed anyone."  
  
"Damn right!"   
  
"Oh geez…" Selphie giggled nervously.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Smoke and the scent of alcohol filled the room where the SeeDs came in. Crowded around one tall table, they all ordered drinks and then sat back.   
  
Quistis coughed and waved some cigarette smoke away from her. "Couldn't we have sat in non smoking?" she asked, adjusting her glasses.  
  
"C'mon Quisty," Irvine mused. "The non smoking section isn't right next to the bar!"   
  
"I should've know…" Quistis muttered.   
  
"Hey, at least we get to relax, right?" Rinoa said brightly.   
  
"Yeah! This is kind of like a group vacation! We can stay up all night, sing karaoke, have pillow fights, tell scary stories…" As Selphie's list grew longer, Seifer growled.  
  
"Alright, that's enough. We get the point." he told her.   
  
"Ok…" Selphie sat back, pouting a little.  
  
"Do they have hot dogs here?" Zell asked, turning the menu around over and over.   
  
"No Zell…" Quistis muttered, exasperated. The clink of glasses made them all look up. The waiter had arrived with an arm full of drinks.  
  
"Margaritas?" The girls hands tilted up, Selphie's raised high with enthusiasm. "Gin?" Irvine gratefully accepted his drink and took a long sip of it. "Bloody Mary?" Seifer jerked his head up and received his drink. "Vodka?"   
  
There was long pause. "Zell, that's what we ordered for you." Irvine explained.   
  
"Oh!" Zell smiled sheepishly and took the small shot glass offered to him.  
  
"Please say you didn't…" Squall muttered. Before Irvine could protest, the waiter interrupted.  
  
"Then the soda must be yours." he said sitting the bubbling glass before Squall. He muttered his thanks and took a sip.   
  
"You're no fun, Squall!" Rinoa badgered. "Just have a drink."   
  
"I can't afford to be drunk." came the cold reply.   
  
"Fine, suit yourself, puberty boy." Seifer leaned back drinking down half of his Bloody Mary in one gulp.   
  
"……… I'm going to the bathroom……" Squall muttered. He pushed out his seat and left, hands jammed in his pockets.   
  
Irvine looked to Zell, then to Seifer. "Do it!" Seifer hissed. The red haired cowboy nodded, took Zell's shot from him, and spiked the drink. By the time Squall came back, Zell had received a fresh shot and everyone was talking casually.   
  
"…" His eyes swept back and forth, from Irvine to Rinoa. His eyes fell on Seifer.   
  
"What? What are you looking at?" Seifer asked. There was a little snigger from Zell but Squall ignored it. With a sigh, he lifted his glass to his lips and drank. The other's could barely stifle their laughter.  
  
"What?" Squall asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all Squall!" Rinoa chirped, putting an arm around his shoulders.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Sorry for the long chapter! Good though, huh? Can you imagine Squall drunk? LMAO. I can imagine Irvine, Zell, and Seifer drunk. Whatever. Hope this didn't suck! 


	3. Part 3

In His Eyes- Part 3  
  
By Matoko Shizaki  
  
Disclaimer: FF8 © Square Soft. If I could own one of them though, it would be Zell. All the way! He's entertaining and cute! Not to mention hyper… What more could you want?   
  
Notes: Sorry it's taken me so long to write! I know I've probably blabbed this all over the place but this August I'm going to an Otakon Anime Convention in Baltimore. All three days! I'll be cosplaying Irvine from FFVIII, Tasuki from Fushigi Yuugi, and Kai Shiden from Mobile Suit Gundam 0079. I would've been Seifer or Zell but I don't have the hair for it. Reddish, brownish, blondish hair doesn't give you much to work with. (And it makes me sound like a kitty cat! ^~_~^ ~~~~Meow!) So, that's why I'm Irvine. I talk too much don't I? Hey, if you're going to that anime convention, can you e-mail me? Maybe I'll see ya there!  
  
Pairings: Quistis/Seifer, Rinoa/Squall, Selphie/Irvine.  
  
By the way, anyone want to request a fic? These are my only guidelines:  
  
Series:  
  
Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Inu Yasha  
  
Final Fantasy VIII  
  
Final Fantasy X NEW!!!  
  
Genres:   
  
Action/Adventure  
  
Comedy  
  
Romance  
  
Other:   
  
I will do Yaoi if the coupling makes sense but I will not do Yuri. Sorry!  
  
By the way, I have a new AIM account. It's Black Farfarello. Hope to hear from ya!  
  
*The Point of No Return is my constant title for a night club. There's a place in Niagara Falls called the Point of No Return. Once you fall there, you won't and can't be saved. Hehe, could this falling be falling in love? ::innocent smile::  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Ugh… I shouldn't have had those shots…" Zell muttered, holding his hands in his head. Before him sat his lap top that was hooked up to the sound monitors and cameras in the next room. But he wasn't paying attention. Nothing interesting was happening…  
  
"Maybe this'll help." A silver wrapped package was suddenly danged in front of him.   
  
"Oh gods… is that what I think it is?" Zell asked, his mouth watering as Irvine dropped the package into his hand and sat on the desk.  
  
"Yup. And warm too."  
  
Zell tore through the package, throwing the shreds to the floor.  
  
"Whoa, calm down there, pal." Irvine exclaimed, backing away from the hunger driven blond.  
  
"Hot dog! Where have you been all my life?!" Zell cried, gazing starry eyed at the morsel. Of course, he wasn't waiting for a reply. Without a second thought, he rammed it into him mouth.  
  
"Take it easy!" Irvine shouted, hopping off the desk. Then he caught sight of the computer screen. "Hey, anything interesting going on it Quistis' and Seifer's room?" he asked slyly.  
  
Zell shook his head. "Nope," he muttered around a bite of hot dog. He paused, swallowed, and continued. "There are going to be a few reporters coming to interview 'Tiril Gambia'."  
  
"Does the chief know about this?"   
  
"Naw. Otherwise he'd have briefed Quistis." The blond chuckled and leaned on his elbow, just as the monitors detected the sound of a knock at the door. "This ought to be interesting…"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Quistis fixed her hair again, uncomfortable with the braid that Tiril Gambia was known to wear her hair in. Satisfied for the moment, she reached up to open the door but Seifer swatted her hand away.  
  
"What was that for?" Quistis hissed in a whisper.  
  
"I'm your 'body guard', remember?" Seifer whispered with a grin. (A/N: C'mon girls, who wouldn't want that hunk of a knight for a bodyguard? ~_^) With a twist of his wrist, the door snapped open revealing a news reporter and two camera men behind her.   
  
"Hello, I'm Iris Kindle from Channel 7 news. I've come to interview Tiril Gambia." The report announced. She was decked out in a blue skirt suit, her black hair flowing to her waist.   
  
"Then you've come to the right place." Seifer replied, opening the door wider.   
  
"G-Good morning!" Quistis said from where she had seated herself on the bed. "I didn't expect interviews already!"   
  
The reporter smiled in return. "I hope it's not too much trouble."   
  
"Not at all!" Quistis… or should I say, Tiril, said. "Ask away." She stood up, Seifer standing at her side.  
  
"Roll the cameras." Iris whispered to the men behind her. They did as they were told and the whir of cameras broke the silence.  
  
"Now Miss Gambia, how are peace talks going?"  
  
Quistis scrambled for an answer. She looked up at Seifer and he shrugged. "Well…" Quistis started. "Since I've been having security problems, I've been taking some time off. My assistants are working on the peace talks."  
  
"When will you be returning to the peace talks?"   
  
"As soon as my attackers are caught." Quistis replied.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"This is just too rich." Irvine laughed. "Quisty had NO idea what she's talking about."  
  
"She's pretty good at bull shitting though." Zell observed.   
  
"Now, Miss Gambia, it seems that you an your body guard are close. Are you a couple?"  
  
Zell laughed, showing a gleaming row of teeth. "Oh my god!" Irvine was laughing too hard to comment.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Um… well… you see…" Quistis stammered. Her face was turning hot, a sign that she was blushing. The impatient eyes of the reporter were making her nervous.   
  
"Yes?" the report pressed.   
  
Suddenly, Quistis felt a hand around her waist that pulled her closer to Seifer. "Of course! In fact, we're engaged!" Seifer smiled maliciously and looked down at Quistis. "Isn't that right, 'Tiril'?"   
  
"Seifer!"   
  
POW!!!!  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Squall chewed anxiously on his toothpick as he sat on the end of the bed watching the six o'clock news. Rinoa sat behind him, waving an egg roll in front of his face. "C'mon Squall, don't you want to eat?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not hungry." Squall replied, waving her off.   
  
"Suit yourself!" Rinoa sighed.   
  
"And today we got a live interview with Tiril Gambia." the newscaster on TV announced.   
  
"Hey, turn this up!" Irvine urged.   
  
"Why Irvy?" Selphie asked, leaning on the cowboy's shoulder.  
  
"You'll see!" Zell laughed. Quistis grunted from where she sat at the desk. Squall seized the remote and clicked up the volume a few notches.   
  
"…Now Miss Gambia, how are peace talks going?"  
  
"Well… Since I've been having security problems, I've been taking some time off. My assistants are working on the peace talks."  
  
"When will you be returning to the peace talks?"  
  
"As soon as my attackers are caught."  
  
  
  
"But…" the newscaster said with a chuckle. "Our next question brought up some controversy between Miss. Gambia and her bodyguard."  
  
The cameras cut back to the interview.  
  
"Now, Miss Gambia, it seems that you an your body guard are close. Are you a couple?"  
  
Quistis fidgeted nervously on screen as her cheeks turned bright red. "Um… well… you see…" With a grin, her bodyguard seized her by the waist, dragging her closer.  
  
"Of course! In fact, we're engaged!" he announce with a big smile. "Isn't that right… Tiril?"  
  
Quistis broke away from him, her face red with anger.   
  
"SEIFER!"   
  
The voice on TV rang through the room since the volume was so loud. On screen 'Tiril' reach up and punched her bodyguard in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.   
  
"And now…" the newscaster said between laughs. "In other news…"  
  
Squall shut off the TV and laughter erupted through out the room.   
  
"That was a nice shot Quistis!" Rinoa laughed. "That must've really hurt!"   
  
"Isn't that right, Seifer?" Zell asked, turning to the knight that was sitting on the edge of the bed holding an icepack to his sore cheek. All he did was growl, a noise that the laughter drowned out. Even Squall cracked a small smile.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"So…" Cigarette smoke seethed through the cracks in the man's teeth. "She got a new body guard."  
  
"He looks like a complete idiot to me." the woman to his left said, tossing her long brown hair.   
  
"That means we must've wasted her last one!" A man said from across the room where he was polishing an assault rifle.   
  
"I guess so." the woman chuckled. "So boss," She leaned closer to the man seated next to her that had first spoken. "When do we make our move?"  
  
"Soon…" the man replied with a smirk. "Soon…"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
A sigh escaped Rinoa's mouth as she leaned against the counter in the police station, waiting for the files on Tiril's attacks to be brought out. She checked her watch again. It was three o'clock, two hours after she had left. 'Squall must be wondering where I am.' she thought idly. 'Oh well, some worry will do him some good.'  
  
"Here you are Miss. The files on the Tiril attacks." A female police officer returned from the file room and threw the folders down on the counter.  
  
"Thank you." Rinoa said with a nod of her head. She scooped up the files and hurried out as fast as she could. This police station was starting to get on her nerves.   
  
Light flooded her eyes as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Castor was a fairly normal city. The skyline was filled with huge buildings that glistened in the sun as if they were made from diamond. Cars whizzed by on the streets and people flooded the sidewalks, their heads bent and their minds set on where they were headed. Rinoa sighed. 'Wish we didn't have work to do…' she thought. Her mind lingered on that thought for a little until a sickening wave of pain shot through her body, destroying her train of thought.   
  
She crumpled to the ground, nursing her sore cheek. That's when she realized she had let go of the files. They had skidded down the sidewalk some yards away and her attacker, mounted on a motorcycle, wasted no time in grabbing it and driving off.  
  
"Come back with that!" Rinoa cried, scrambling to her feet. She ran a little ways down the sidewalk, trying to keep up with the bike. But the driver was already out of range, the files tucked under their arm. Rinoa's first instinct was her weapon that was still strapped to her arm. But she hesitated. 'I'd stir up too much trouble. Dammit!' Remembering the pain in her banged up cheek, she slumped to the sidewalk.  
  
"I… I failed…"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Rinoa winced at Squall dabbed at her cheek with a cotton ball doused in disinfectant. "That hurts…" she muttered.  
  
The SeeD leader studied over the large gash that ran from Rinoa's ear almost to her nose and sighed. He fished the gauze and medical tape out from his bag and bandaged her cheek. "You need to be more careful." Squall said.  
  
"I'm sorry, Squall." Rinoa said looking down at her hands folded in her lap. "I messed up the mission."   
  
"No you didn't." Squall put away the first aid kit and then looked back up into Rinoa's big, brown eyes. "Whoever attacked you is working for the rebels. Apparently they don't want us to have any clues…" He frowned. "So be it."  
  
"So what? It's my fault!" Rinoa cried, leaning forward.   
  
"I'm not too worried about the police files." Squall said. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt any worse."   
  
"Oh Squall…" Rinoa whispered. She slid her arms around his neck and settled her head on his shoulder. Squall looped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.   
  
"I'll always protect you, Rinoa." Squall told her, stroking the back of her head. Rinoa looked up at him and smiled before locking her lips with his.  
  
Seifer watched from where he stood in the doorway. But this time he couldn't think of any way to insult his rival. Maybe he even felt a little jealousy. Putting the thought in the back of his mind, he retreated to his room.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
As another card flew across the room and landed perfectly in the trash can, Quistis was beginning to get annoying with Seifer's game. The blond knight was sitting on the coffee table idly flicking the cards into a bin all the way across the room. "Don't you have anything better to do?" said Quistis after a while.  
  
"No, not really…" Seifer replied, a hint of agitation in his voice since his 'concentration' had been broken.   
  
"Then let's do something." Quistis exclaimed, standing up.   
  
"Like what?" the knight asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.   
  
Quistis hesitated for a moment. "I don't know…"   
  
"Hn. Great plan." Seifer thought a moment and then looked back up at the SeeD. "How about we go out on the town?"   
  
"What do you mean? Squall would kill us!"   
  
It was too late though. Seifer had already made up his mind (finding it equally satisfying to aggravate Squall) and had already gone for his coat. "So what if it pisses off your darling little commander?! Haven't you ever broken the rules before?" Seifer tossed Quistis her coat and turned to the door.  
  
"No… but what if someone realizes I'm 'Tiril Gambia'? Shouldn't I be in disguise?"   
  
"Re do your hair and get dressed the way you normally do. It's that easy." Seifer explained with an air of matter-of-factness.   
  
"Well… who said I wanted to go?" Quistis blurted, crossing her arms.   
  
"Look at it this way…" Seifer said over his shoulder. "Do you have anything better to do?"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
For a weekday, it was fairly busy at on of the night clubs in Castor titled, "The Point of No Return"*. People had flooded the dance floor leaving the bar practically empty. That's where Quistis sat in silence as she watched Seifer flirt with some of the other women. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her drink. But she couldn't ignore the small feeling of jealous deep within her soul. 'Seifer's the one who brought me here. He shouldn't be off talking with other ladies…' Quistis gave herself a mental slap as soon as she realized what she had been thinking. That's when the chair next to her at the bar slid out and a smiling Seifer sat down.  
  
"What? Didn't have enough money for a hooker?" Quistis replied sourly and very out of character like. Was she… jealous?  
  
Seifer glared at her and then turned away. "No, I figured you'd want some company. That's all." He signaled the bar tender for a drink and then turned back to Quistis.   
  
"Hey, you know how to dance?"  
  
Quistis flushed a little. "Not really. All I ever learned was the dance to 'Waltz of the Moon' back at the Garden."   
  
"Well, when you get thrown into a sink or swim situation, you have no choice but to swim." He stood up, leaving his untouched drink at the bar.   
  
"What? Where are we going?" Quistis stammered as Seifer grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out onto the dance floor.  
  
"You act too mature, 'teacher'. You need to lighten up!" Seifer shouted over the pulsating music the DJ was spinning.   
  
"I'm not a teacher anymore!"   
  
"Then stop acting like one!"   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Seifer mind was buzzing with thoughts as he watched Quistis lose her usual business like appearance and begin to give into the music. Was it just him, or was everything about her perfect?  
  
Shining blond hair swishes around her face, the tiny curls framing it perfectly. Gorgeous blue eyes took in the dark world around her. A smile creased her face when she noticed Seifer looking at her. Suddenly, his eyes traveled down her body. Two flawless mounds contorted her shirt, tugging at it and creasing the material. Perfect curves led down to a smooth, flat stomach and curved hips. And those beautiful, long, silky, smooth legs…  
  
"Seifer?"   
  
Seifer's attention snapped back up to Quistis' face. She stared at his curiously as the music died. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"N-Nothing." Seifer lied. "Hey, you want to go for a walk? It's… it's kind of stuffy in here, you know."  
  
"Sure…" Quistis said slowly. She was still staring at Seifer suspiciously. With a sigh, she turned and headed for the door, Seifer following close behind, his eyes set on her… but not in the best of places…   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
A few drinks later, the two sat on a bench on a bridge overlooking one of the main streets in the city. The city was lit up that night but the stars still out shone the gallant metropolis of Castor.  
  
"That was wonderful!" Quistis laughed.  
  
"Yeah. Heh, I didn't know some guys could drink that much!"   
  
Quistis laid back, her tilted to gaze up at the stars. After a small silence, her head jerked back to eye level and she smiled. "Hey, there's a photo booth back there. Wanna get our picture taken?"   
  
"Why the hell not." Seifer laughed.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Another boring afternoon…" Zell muttered, leaning back in his chair. There was no point in monitoring the next room since Quistis had gone to another interview meant for Tiril Gambia and Seifer had accompanied her. Irvine was fast asleep on the bed, Selphie was down in the lobby getting snacks, and Squall and Rinoa had followed 'Tiril' and her 'body guard' to make sure nothing happened. So… he was alone. Then an idea struck him.  
  
'Hey, Seifer and Quistis aren't here right? Maybe a little snooping around might be entertaining.' He laughed out loud to think of what kind of embarrassing things he might be able to dig up on Seifer. First, he checked to make sure Irvine was still sleeping and then slipped out into the hallway.  
  
Next door was the room Quistis and Seifer shared. Zell pulled the extra key card (the one Squall had for safe keeping) and ran it through. With a snap, the lock undid and the door opened.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
The smell of cleaning supplies was heavy in the room, so heavy that for a moment Zell covered his nose with his hand. The cleaning people must've been in there… which was the least Zell could say from his room and the girls' room. They hadn't let anyone in there at all, to clean or otherwise. Stepping over the empty duffel bags, the blond martial artist approached the dresser.   
  
Top drawer… It was full of Quistis' things. Neatly folded shirts, skirts, blouses… Zell blushed. And lingerie… He quickly shut the drawer and went on to the next one.  
  
Seifer's clothes. They were stuffed in there, barely fitting. Huge masses of wrinkled shirts, pants, socks, and boxers were practically hanging out of the drawer. Zell sifted through the boxers and frowned. "Aw, what Seifer? No tighty whities?" Disappointed, the blond slammed the drawer shut. He sighed and leaned against the desk.  
  
"There's got to be some good black mail somewhere…" Zell muttered, crossing his arms in frustration. When he put his right hand back on the desk, it shifted a few papers. Curiously, he turned around and looked down.  
  
A copy of the mission briefing. Receipts. Notes on Tiril Gambia and the peace talks. And… "What's this?"  
  
Zell held up a slip of paper, trying to get a good look at it in the dim light. It was a strip of photos from a photo booth. Zell bit his lip in growling anticipation as his eyes scanned the photos. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
A groan rose from under the cowboy hat Irvine had placed on his face to block out the light. He removed it and sat up. "What the hell was all that noise?" he wondered aloud. His head turned slightly upon hearing the sound of the door unlocking. Selphie came in, her arms full of snacks.  
  
"I didn't know what you and Zell wanted, Irvy. I got a lot though!" she giggled and dropped the pile of junk food onto the bed.  
  
"Hey, Selph." Irvine tipped her hat to her. "Did you hear that noise just a second ago?"   
  
Selphie shook her head, bouncing her curls back and forth. "No, why?"  
  
The cowboy held up a hand for silence. "There it is again." he whispered.  
  
"It's coming from next door!" the brunette gasped.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
With his shotgun tucked under his arm, Irvine slowly swiped and extra key card and entered. Selphie followed directly behind him holding fistfuls of his coat for comfort. The cowboy sighed and lowered his gun noticing that it was only Zell rolling around on the carpet and laughing. The blond clutched his rib and was gasping for air.  
  
"Zell, you scared the shit out of me!" Irvine complained. Selphie looked out from behind her human shield.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
Finally Zell regained his footing and, sobering, handed a strip of photos to Irvine. The cowboy looked at Zell and then down at the photos.  
  
The top one showed Seifer and Quistis sitting in the photo booth, their faces red from drinking. In the next photo, Quistis had her arm around Seifer's shoulders and Seifer was flashing the camera a peace sigh and a big, fanged grin. But the last photo broke him down into laughing hysterics. He joined Zell in laughing while leaning on the wall for support.  
  
"What are you two laughing at!?" Selphie asked, hands on her hips. She reached out and took the photos Irvine was offering her.  
  
"T-The… hahaha… last one… haha!" Irvine managed to gasp out.   
  
Reluctantly, Selphie glanced down at the last picture. In it, Quistis had her arms around Seifer's neck. In turn, Seifer's arms were clasped around her waist as they shared a passionate… yet alcohol induced… kiss.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
It had been two, no, three weeks since that night but Quistis still couldn't get it off her mind. She had kissed him. She had kissed Seifer. The man she was assigned with to make sure didn't take his own life and in turn, the man that was there to protect her for the mission. The man that became a knight and nearly destroyed the whole world. The man… the man she was falling in love with…  
  
High heels clapped against the sidewalk as Quistis walked back to the hotel silently. Every now and then Seifer would begin talking but due to her introspective mood, Quistis said nothing and the conversation would die.   
  
"God dammit, what's with you today?" Seifer finally asked crossing his arms across his muscular chest.  
  
"N-Nothing…" Quistis muttered, eyes on the sidewalk. She was blushing too hard to face him now.   
  
"It can't just be nothing. Then you wouldn't look so upset." Seifer retorted.  
  
"It is though!"   
  
"Liar."   
  
"I'm not lying!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!"  
  
"Are too!"   
  
"Are not!"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!" Quistis pushed past Seifer and walked into the room.   
  
"Are too." Seifer muttered under his breath. Quistis smiled a little. He reminded her of a stubborn child trying to win a game.   
  
"Maybe I am…" she said pulling off her heels and massaging her sore feet.   
  
"I knew it." Seifer exclaimed with a proud 'I told you so' smile. "So," he climbed onto the second bed across from hers. "What is it?"   
  
"Why should it concern you?" Quistis asked coolly as she walked over to the desk and signed on her internet hook up. Zell's bright face on the monitor welcomed her.  
  
"Hey Quistis! Any 'fun' yet?" he snickered.   
  
"Zell…"   
  
"Alright, alright. So, you done with meetings for today?"  
  
Quistis nodded. "Yeah. I just finished."  
  
"Get the hell off that monitor chicken wuss! I'm trying to get something out of Quistis!"  
  
Seeing as how there was a whole wall to separate him from the deranged knight, Zell smiled exposing two fanged canines and a row of shining teeth. "Really now? What is it Quistis? Don't want this bozo kissing you again?"  
  
"Zell!" Quistis shouted, her glasses almost falling off the bridge of her nose. "How did you find out about that?!"  
  
The blond, still grinning, held up a strip of photos. "Everyone knows now!" he laughed. Before Zell could start up with his questions again, Quistis shut off the computer and collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh.  
  
"That little jack ass… When I get to him…" Seifer threatened. Then he turned to the camera. "You hear that chicken wuss?!" With a grunt, he turned away again and sat down on the bed.   
  
A few moments passed in silence before Seifer spoke up again. "Now what's bugging you? The suspense is killin' me!!" His eyes lit up, a boyish glint illuminating the ice blue orbs.   
  
Still, Quistis was hesitant. 'Is this really the time for girlish fantasies, Quistis? You're on a mission…' She turned from him to face the window open to the warm afternoon air. "I- I can't…" she muttered.  
  
Suddenly, a powerful hand jerked her around by her shoulder to face Seifer. "Tell me." he ordered.   
  
"You really want to know?" Quistis asked staring him straight in the eyes.   
  
"Yes. Isn't that what I've been saying for the past ten minutes?!"   
  
A blush spread over Quistis' face. She was so close to him that she could feel his hot breath on her reddened cheeks. Every detail of his face was apparent to her. Every scar, every wrinkle, every tinge of the sun reflecting off his face. But standing out most of all were those blue eyes… the ones that had made Quistis sympathize for him in the first place.   
  
"Well…?" Seifer pressed looking down at her.   
  
'It's now or never, Quistis…' But she hesitated. Bit her lip. Stalled for time. If she wanted to do this so bad, why was she hesitant?   
  
"Quistis, tell--"   
  
Seifer choked on his words as Quistis' mouth closed over his and her arms slid around his neck. In shock, he didn't move for a moment.  
  
'C-Can this really be happening? I mean this is… Quistis!'   
  
After a mental slap, the former knight came to grips with the fact that this was real. As real as he had wanted it to be. His arms automatically slid around her waist, putting her closer. She stopped and gasp in surprise as she was snuggled against the man's broad chest, giving him a chance to deepen the kiss.   
  
'Wait! What am doing?!' Quistis' mind screamed for her to push away, to wish this had never happened… but she didn't want to let go. Finally, going against her sensual wishes, she pushed away leaving Seifer standing there, his arms still outstretched like he was still holding her.  
  
"Quistis…"  
  
"I'm sorry… I just… can't… The mission… It's not appropriate… Why did I do that?!" Her eyes remained focused on the floor.  
  
"Quistis." Seifer turned her around to face him. "Screw the mission." This time it was his turn to steal a passionate kiss.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
It had been a very long morning. The night before, Zell had picked up some tips. That meant that it was just him and Quistis at the hotel… alone. He smiled a little at the thought, paid for the coffee he bought at the café, and started back to the hotel that was only a few blocks away.   
  
With everything happening, there had been very little time for Seifer to just think… not about the mission and how much he despised his commander but about… other things. Above all, her. Now was certainly that time though. Her safety was on the line. Every time he left, he regretted it from the worries that maybe the rebels would choose that time to strike. The worrying was probably making his hair turn gray!  
  
He pushed through the revolving doors and into the hotel lobby with a sigh. Everything was normal. Not a chair out of place. 'Looks like I was worried for nothing…' he thought in relief. He instantly lived to regret the comment.  
  
As he hurried up the grand staircase to the hotel room he was greeted by bursts from a machine and the chorus of screams that responded. Suddenly the panic was back. Without a second thought, Seifer bolted up the stairs, his heart racing.  
  
What he saw sent shivers up his spine. All the people in the halls had been mercilessly slaughtered, things written on the walls with their blood. Machine gun bullets dented the walls, splintered the doors, and had shattered the window panes.   
  
"Quistis!" Seifer hurried over the bodies of the dead towards the room him and Quistis had shared for almost two months now. The door knob had been completely ripped out, leaving only a hole in the door. Without hesitation, Seifer pushed opened the door and then stopped. Every muscle tensed and his heart stopped.  
  
From the bathroom there was a small trail of blood droplets, probably from a minor flesh wound. The bottom drawer of the dresser had been ripped open revealing the safe where Seifer had locked up their weapons.   
  
'She… she tried to get them out… damn it… I'm the only one who knew the combination!'   
  
The window was all the way open, allowing the bloodied curtains to flap freely in the breeze. Seifer hurried over and stuck his head out. There was no sign of Quistis.  
  
"Dammit…" Seifer's shoulders shook and his eyes burned with tears of anger. Leaning on the window still for support, he looked out once more.   
  
"QUISTIS!!!!" 


	4. Part 4

In His Eyes- Part 4  
  
By Matoko Shizaki  
  
Disclaimer: FF8 © Square Soft. If I could own one of them though, it would be Zell. All the way! He's entertaining and cute! Not to mention hyper… What more could you want?   
  
Notes: Hi everyone! Sorry the third chapter took so long. Twelve or so pages IS a lot for chapters. It must be a pain for you guys to read it all. Anyway, this is the last chapter… at least I think it is. Enjoy!  
  
ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE ME TO WRITE A FOLLOW UP THAT'S JUST A SEIFER/QUISTIS ROMANCE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!  
  
Pairings: Quistis/Seifer, Rinoa/Squall, Selphie/Irvine.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"You should have been up here watching her, Seifer." Squall muttered. His words seethed with anger and worry and came out from behind a clenched jaw. No longer were his eyes dull or glazed over but piercing. That's what made Seifer not want to look at him… or maybe it was just the guilt that kept his head bent.   
  
"I know that!" Seifer growled in response as he ran his hand through his hair, his eyes still focused on his lap.   
  
"Obviously you don't! That's why Quistis' life has now been put in jeopardy!" Squall cried. After a moment of silence he sighed, his voice softening a little. "If they find out she's not the real Tiril, they might kill her." The SeeD commander turned to the others who were standing on the other side of the room at a safe distance from the two rivals.   
  
"Listen up. Our mission is now not only an intelligence gathering mission but a rescue mission as well."   
  
"So, what do you think we should do?" Zell asked, uncrossing his arms.   
  
"We're going to have to infiltrate their hide out of course!" Irvine told the blond with a smile.  
  
"And how the hell are we going to do that if we don't even know where she or the damned hide out is!?" Seifer shouted, jumping up off the bed.  
  
"Tracking device." the cowboy replied coolly. "We planted one in Quistis' glasses for safe keeping."   
  
"Really Irvy?!" Selphie cried happily.   
  
Irvine nodded. "All we need are the orders…" He turned to Squall. "…captain."   
  
Squall nodded. "We move out at eleven tonight. They won't be expecting an attack then."   
  
"Right." Rinoa said with a smile. As the others filed from the room, she glanced over at Seifer who was sitting on the bed, head in his hands again.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry Seifer. We'll get her back."   
  
Seifer looked up and stared at Rinoa for a moment before smiling inwardly. "You damn optimists. I'll believe you… but only this time."   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
When had he gotten so weak? Worrying and moping about this way… about a woman?! Months ago he wouldn't have cared if she dropped dead. But now he couldn't even think of the rebels harming a single hair on her head. He chuckled and fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. 'I've grown so soft…'   
  
There was a knock at the door and Seifer sat up with a groan. "Who is it?" he asked getting up off the bed.   
  
"You know damn good and well who it is." and annoyed blond on the other end hissed.   
  
Seifer swung the door open, catching Zell off guard. The door hit him right in the face sending him onto the ground.   
  
"Ach! Seifer! By dose!" Zell squealed (while holding his nose).   
  
"Heh sorry chicken wuss, didn't see ya there." Seifer laughed, turning away from the door and to his dresser.  
  
"We're leaving now." Zell muttered as he go up off the hallway floor.   
  
"I know dipshit. I'm not stupid." Seifer looked back down at the bottom draw of his dresser. In it was a clear, shatter proof glass safe. Through it he could see his gun blade… and Quistis' whip. He shook his fearful thoughts to the back of his mind and punched in the code on the keypad. "9... 28... 10." he muttered to himself. The box opened and he retrieved his trusty gun blade. Without taking Quistis' weapon, he left, following Zell to the hotel lobby.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Squall snuggled his face into the warm, furry collar of his coat. It was a brisk night, not unusual for spring in Castor. He smiled when Rinoa leaned against him, shivering a little. The SeeD commander opened up his coat in a welcome gesture and Rinoa spared no time in snuggling into the black leather coat along with her love.   
  
To the side, Irvine was checking communication signals in the city. Every frequency was something different. Children who left walkie talkies on, cops, or aircrafts asking for permission to land or take off. Nothing about the rebels or Quistis. He removed the head piece and sighed. Selphie leaned towards him with a hopeful smile. "Nothing." he whispered to her.   
  
"Drat…" Selphie muttered snapping her fingers. She jumped as the revolving door behind her moved and Zell and Seifer emerged from inside the building.   
  
"About time you two!" Selphie squealed.  
  
Irvine tapped his headphones as if to get a clearer signal and glared over at the two. "Ready?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah." Zell replied cracking his knuckles. Seifer didn't say anything in response, only moved towards Squall.  
  
"Anything yet?" the ex-knight asked.   
  
Squall cleared his throat and Rinoa moved away from him a little. "No, nothing. Irvine," He turned to the Galbadian cowboy. "Where does the tracker say she is?"  
  
With a frown, Irvine slid the headphones off his head so they rested against his ponytail. "Let me see…" After digging through the back pocket of his pants, he retrieved a flat screened device. "About 10 blocks from here. South I'd say…"   
  
"That can't be right!" Selphie replied, fumbling and turning over the map of the city in her hands. "That's an abandoned warehouse! It's condemned and hasn't been used in years!"   
  
"Of course!" Zell said, snapping his fingers. "What better place for a rebels group?"  
  
"I could have told you that…" Rinoa muttered.   
  
"Right let's--" Squall began. He suddenly stopped as Seifer brushed past him, sprinting across the street and down towards the industrial district. "Seifer! Where are you going?!"   
  
"I'm going to get her back!!" Seifer called over his shoulder as he disappeared down an alley way.   
  
Rinoa glanced up at Squall. "I can see why he failed the SeeD test so many times. Did he really qualify to have this as his test?"   
  
Squall nodded. "I guess so."   
  
"Hmph. That's a miracle…" Zell said crossing his arms.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
'Ok, this really sucks…' Seifer thought, his gun blade feeling steadily heavier on his shoulder every minute. 'That stupid cowboy said 10 blocks south, right? Then it should be one of these buildings.' He hated to admit it, but he was hopelessly lost. With a loud groan, he kicked over one of the metal drums placed to his right in a stack of about ten.   
  
"Shit!"   
  
With a clang, his boot connected with the hollow drum, knocking it down the alley. He turned, eyes wide, as the other barrels started to rain down around him.  
  
"DOUBLE SHIT!!!"   
  
He dove to the side, hands over his head. Moments later, three landed only inches from his face. As soon as the clatter died down, he looked up. Where the barrels had been stacked was a rusted old door.  
  
"Well what do ya know…" Seifer muttered as he stood up and brushed himself off. "This must be the place."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
'Seifer… that fool! He's going to get us all killed with his heroics!' Squall thought, plowing on through the empty alleys with the rest of the SeeDs following behind.   
  
Taking a sharp turn, he headed down another alley. Suddenly, he skidded to a halt to avoid tripping over several overturned metal barrels.   
  
"Holy shit!" Zell squeaked as he slammed on his brakes to avoid crashing head long into Squall. "What's the hold up Squall?" he asked.  
  
"Seifer must've been here…" Squall muttered stepping over the barrels.   
  
"This looks like something he'd do…" Rinoa said, following as the others hurried after their commander.   
  
Squall turned down the alley, past the last of the barrels, only to find a dead end. 'Where could he have gone?' he thought, tracing his fingers over the solid brick. It was as if the headstrong ex-knight had disappeared into thin air… either that or run right through solid brick.  
  
"Hey, take a look at this!" Irvine cried. Squall turned to see the cowboy standing in the mess of barrels by an old door that was rusted. The crimson color made it blend in with the bricks perfectly.  
  
"He must've gone in there!" Selphie exclaimed.   
  
"Alright, let's go drag his sorry ass back!" Zell cried, dashing for the door. Irvine, who was still standing at the door, grabbed him, holding him back from his destination.  
  
"Should we commander?" Irvine asked. There was a serious glint in his eyes, one that told Squall he must also be nervous. 'Please don't break down again Kinneas…'  
  
Squall nodded in reply. That was all the team needed. Irvine opened the door, leading them all into immense darkness and the unknown.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
It had just been a normal hallway. When Seifer opened the next door, he found himself in another hall, one that was clearly more clean and darker than the last. Taking one step forward, he suddenly found himself jumping back as the lights lit up.  
  
The floor was lined with black and white tile, much like a chess board. In the middle of the pitch black walls, running the whole length of the hall, were florescent lights that had lit up with his first step.   
  
"This is getting even weirder…" Seifer muttered. He ignored the uneasy feeling in his stomach and ran forward, determined to fix his mistakes and bring back Quistis, alive and unharmed.  
  
Behind the next door was a large room with staircases that swept up to a nice balcony and five different elevators. Beneath him was the same tile that was in the hallway, except this tile seemed faded. There was dead silence…   
  
That's when Seifer felt the cold hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Fuck!" he hissed, jumping forward and then turning around. Standing behind him with his hand still outstretched was a slightly amused Irvine.  
  
"Hey. Good to see ya too." Irvine commented. Behind him, Zell had both hands clamped over his mouth to contain his laughter. Straight faced, Squall watched as Rinoa and Selphie began to giggle too.  
  
"That's not funny. I was just about to slit your throat…" Seifer growled as he turned around to hide his embarrassment.   
  
"Sure… sure… what ever you say." Irvine said.   
  
"SHUT UP!"   
  
Squall signaled for silence. "Looks like we're in some kind of entrance…" he whispered.  
  
"This must be their base…" Rinoa mumbled, taking in her surroundings with awe. "Why didn't Zone and Watts come up with something like this for the base?"   
  
"Alright, I say we split up and find Quistis!" Zell said, pounding his fist into an outstretched hand.   
  
"That's the first good idea you've had all day, chicken wuss…" Seifer muttered.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Where is your team hiding?"   
  
Quistis continued with her stiff upper lip act, her back straight against the hard chair and her fists clenched where they were tied behind her back. The woman with long brown hair and an army like feel to her glared again and raised her hand to back hand her.   
  
Closing her eyes, Quistis braced herself for the blow. But it never came. When she opened her eyes she noticed the woman's companion, a man with an eye patch and scruffy black hair, was holding back her hand with his powerful grip, a toothpick bobbling up and down in his mouth as he spoke.  
  
"Relax… we're not going to get anything out of her anyway."  
  
"What makes you so sure," The woman ripped her hand away and began rubbing her wrist. "That this bitch won't crack?"  
  
"Well…" The man rounded her side, her eyes following him. "I didn't say that…" He removed the toothpick and flicked it across the room. "Let me try questioning her."   
  
"If this is for your--"  
  
"It's not! You have my word." He did a sweeping bow.  
  
"Your word is worth shit…" the woman muttered as she turned on heel and left the room.  
  
"Now…" The man rounded on Quistis, an evil grin replacing his nonchalant and frivolous one. Quistis shivered at the sudden change and, in a wave of panic, continued to yank at her bonds.  
  
"Why so nervous beautiful?" he asked, running a finger under Quistis' chin. She immediately jerked away from the unwanted interaction.  
  
"Heh, shy huh? Well," He pulled a switch blade from the back pocket of his jeans and flipped it open. "We're going to change that…"   
  
Quistis closed her eyes and let out a little scream. She could feel the air stir as the blade cut through it… and whatever else she couldn't guess. But there was no pain, only a very cold sensation. She opened her eyes and realized that her shirt had been cut open revealing the lingerie beneath. This horrified her even more than the thought of being slashed. She was going to be raped.  
  
"No! Leave me alone! You pervert!!!!" she squealed as the man opened her shirt even more.   
  
"Shut up." With that, he back handed her, silencing her cry.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Up the stairs and up to the third floor by way off an elevator… that's where Zell was when he heard the scream. "Quistis!" he muttered under his breath. The scream was suddenly cut off, and everything went silent again.   
  
His first thought was to get the others. 'By then it'll be too late…' Deciding on what he thought was the best course of action, he sprinted down the hall to a steel door that he pulled open with difficulty, and then disappeared into the unknown.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Shadows… nothing but shadows… Squall couldn't see, only hear the foot steps behind him that were Irvine's. He had left Seifer in the entrance room but suddenly regretted it. With no knowledge of what lay ahead of him, it would have been reassuring to have a little more power behind him… other than Irvine's 'trusty' shot gun.  
  
Something stirred in the corner and Irvine lifted his shot gun from his shoulder and into a firing position. "What was that…?" he whispered to Squall.  
  
"I don't know…" Squall replied in an equally hushed tone. He stepped forward toward the movement only to encourage more. "Who ever you are," he said raising his voice. "Come out now or face battle."   
  
With a sudden rush, whatever it was shot at Squall, latching itself around his ankles. Out of shock, Squall wheeled back and tripped, falling back onto several stacks of cardboard boxes.  
  
"Squall!" Irvine cried, taking aim at the large, dark figure situated around their captain's legs. But the thing was shaking so much he didn't have the heart. Besides, the person looked familiar… He lowered his gun as the figure started wailing.   
  
"OH SQUALL I WAS SCARED! SOOOOOOOO SCARED!!! THAT LADY JUST POPPED OUTTA NOWHERE AND… AND…!!" Sobbing followed.   
  
Immediately Irvine knelt down and pried a hysterical Selphie off of a bewildered Squall. He let her curl up against his chest, clinging to his coat and sobbing. "It's ok…" Irvine cooed, stroking Selphie's head.  
  
"Selphie…" Squall sat up. "Where's Rinoa? I thought you went with her."   
  
The brunette sniffed, raising her head from where it was nestled in the folds of Irvine's coat. "I… I was but… but…" She suddenly broke down again, returning to the comfort of Irvine's arms.   
  
Irvine looked up at Squall, a look that Squall could read. It said, 'Let's just leave her alone for right now.' But Selphie's hysterics had put Squall on end.  
  
"Selphie, where is Rinoa?"   
  
"Jesus, just leave her alone for right now!" Irvine shouted.  
  
"No! Not until I know Rinoa's safe."   
  
"Dammit--"   
  
"Stop…" Selphie sniffed, looking up at them. "It's alright Irvy." Irvine relaxed a little at her words. "S-She's… she's up on the second floor…" Selphie managed to force out. "That lady… she…"   
  
"That's all I need to know." Squall said, standing up. He brushed himself off and laid a hand on his gun blade.  
  
"Wait, I'm coming!" Selphie suddenly jumped up. Irvine soon followed. "It's my fault for leaving her anyway!" Selphie protested.   
  
"Fine," Squall said, turning and heading back to the entrance room. "Just keep quiet."   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Zell's heart raced. He could hear more screaming, the pitch resonating in his ears. Then it was cut short as if nothing had happened. But then there was talking.   
  
"Where the hell…?" Zell muttered, turning in circles. He was surrounded by four doors, all of which could hold Quistis and her torturer. He had to think quick.  
  
'Just say something you bastard!'   
  
As if on cue a male voice struck up.   
  
"Now… where are they? It's the information or…"   
  
Another scream.  
  
"I won't tell you! No don't!"   
  
'That one!' Zell turned to a door to his left, one that was simple enough, like all the others. Adrenaline flooded his veins, fueling his anger and giving him new found strength. With a quick burst of speed, he rammed the door, breaking the lock.   
  
Inside was bare like all the other rooms. But situated in the middle was a chair, Quistis tied to it. Looming over her menacingly was a tall, thin, muscular man. He had long black hair that was swept back in an uneven ponytail. He had a blue bandana tied on his head, one that reminded Zell of the one Ward always wore. Clothed in baggy jeans and a white tank top, he looked fairly normal. The only thing about him that unnerved Zell was the knife in his one hand… and the fistful he held of Quistis' open shirt.  
  
With a shout Zell tackled his right hand, trying to wrench away the knife. In retaliation and shock, the man brought it up, cutting across Zell's cheek. But he didn't flinch. Zell gave the man a brutal shove that sent him flying against the undecorated wall. As soon as he hit, the switchblade tumbled from his grip. Another charge and Zell was face to face with the man, pinning his hands to the wall. With a side kick of his foot, Zell sent the blade to the other side of the room… far out of the reach of Quistis' attacker.  
  
"You bastard! Nobody," A powerful blow to his left cheek. "Touches a member," One to the stomach that caused him to double over in pain, making retching sounds. "Of SeeD!!!!!" An upper cut to his jaw. Suddenly his taut and athletic body went limp, slumping to the ground in unconsciousness.   
  
Zell wiped away the blood that had trickled to his mouth. "K.O."   
  
"Zell! What are you…?" Quistis asked, struggling with her bonds again.   
  
"We came to get you. All of us." Zell returned, retrieving the switch blade and cutting the older SeeD loose.   
  
She rubbed her wrists and smile. "Thanks. I can't believe I was just nearly…" She went silent, her eyes falling on the limp man propped up against the wall.   
  
Suddenly there were voices in the hall. "Aw shit… more of them…" Zell muttered.  
  
"Do you have my whip?" Quistis whispered, standing up from the chair she had been bound to for about an hour now.   
  
"No…" Zell pushed Quistis towards a back door. "Hurry and get out of here. Seifer's standing watch on the first floor. If you can make it to him without getting caught…"  
  
"Thank you Zell."   
  
The blond turned and flashed his old instructor a winning, fanged smile. "No problem. Just get out of here."   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
The elevator doors opened. Squall quickly checked both ends of the hallway and agreed that the coast was clear. Signaling the other two, he moved out and down the hall. Behind him was a slightly shaking Selphie and Irvine brought up the rear.   
  
No noise other than the shaky breath coming from Selphie and their footsteps could be heard. Then there was the occasional crackle of static from the communication device Irvine had on his belt, but that was it. After three minutes of strolling down the abandoned hallway, they heard something.  
  
Two voices…  
  
The first was unmistakably that of a woman… but the second… definitely a man, Squall decided.   
  
"Will he come?" said the woman.  
  
"Of course… they will. It seems we've lost our first trick card so she," he paused and the sound of movement prevailed. "Will be our bargaining edge."   
  
There was a low moan and then quiet laughter. Squall's temper flared. What were they doing to Rinoa? What were they planning?! He wanted to barge into wherever they were right now and beat the shit out of them, but he restrained himself. If he acted so recklessly, he could put Rinoa's life on the line. So, calming his breath, he continued to listen.  
  
"What about that little brunette twerp?"  
  
"The one that ran away?" He paused. "Well, we'll just capture her when she comes back…" There was the sound of someone flicking a lighter and lighting something. "Because trust me, she will. We have her little friend." More laughter.  
  
Squall looked over his shoulder. Selphie looked ready to either cry or rush in there and kill the two herself. At her side, Irvine had a reassuring hand on her shoulder… trying somewhat to also restrain her. He had an idea of how much of a temper Selphie could get.   
  
Suddenly, the brunette shrugged off her companion and sprang forth towards a door at the end of the hall. "No! Selphie!" Irvine hissed in a low tone. But it was too late. She threw open the doors and, noticing that Squall and Irvine were race towards her, closed them and locked the door.  
  
"Dammit Selphie!" Irvine cried, pounding on the door. In Squall's opinion, he looked even worse that he had when they had tried to assassinate the sorceress two years ago. But he had a reason to. Squall looked back at the door.   
  
'Good luck Selphie…'  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
As soon as Selphie closed and locked the doors, she regretted it. Two against one… bad odds for her as far as she was concerned. But what mattered was getting Rinoa back.   
  
Before her stood the same woman who had attacked her and Rinoa earlier. She was tall with long brown, braided hair. Dressed in khakis and an orange tank top, she seemed very casual… a trait that clashed very deeply with her militarist demeanor.   
  
Next to her was a man, even taller than his accomplice. He was lanky but muscular with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Dressed in black pants, a trench coat, and donning black sunglasses, he presented himself as a very foreboding character. To top it all off, he had pitch black hair. A little too gothic for Selphie…  
  
Between the two was Rinoa, dangling in mid air as if held by some invisible wires. She also had the appearance of someone who was tied tightly but… there was no rope yet her limbs contorted together. She looked miserable with her silky black tresses hanging over her face. Selphie had never seen her so pale.  
  
"What did you do to Rinny?!" Selphie blurted, whipping out her nun-chaku. She ignored the shouts for her on the other side of the door, keeping her focus on her friend in need.  
  
"Oh… you again…" the woman said with a mock yawn. "I thought we scared you away for good."  
  
"I told you she'd come back for her friend." said the man in black as he took another long draw on his cigarette.   
  
"I said," Selphie hefted her weapon of choice dangerously. "What did you do to Rinny?!"   
  
"Nothing my dear… unless you consider poisoning something to worry about." She laughed as she produced a smile vile from inside her shirt. "And this is the only antidote. What a shame."  
  
"Gimme that!" Selphie ordered, outstretching her hand.   
  
"Why would I make it that easy?" The woman snickered and tossed the bottle to her male companion who caught it without even looking.   
  
He unwrapped his black gloved hands from the vile and stared at it for a moment before looking back up at Selphie. "Do you want it that bad little girl?"  
  
"Yes! And I'm not a little girl!" Selphie stamped her foot, which somewhat argued with her last statement.  
  
"Then," The man in black tucked it into one of the myriad pockets on his trench coat. "You'll have to take it from me."   
  
Her pulse quickened. She felt as if her heart was going to burst from her chest. It was a feeling she wanted to forget, one that made her want to run away right now. But she wouldn't. She couldn't leave Rinoa now, not like this.   
  
Taking a deep breath, Selphie slid into her stance. "Alright then! I will!"  
  
There was a pause followed by laughter… laughter that made Selphie shiver.  
  
"W…What's so funny?" Selphie stammered. She could feel her palms begin to sweat and gripped her nun-chaku tighter.  
  
"Foolish little girl…" the man muttered. He flexed his hand expertly, producing four claws situated near his knuckles. The metal pierced his gloves with a rip and he looked back up at Selphie with a smirk. "You had better practice you scream."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Irvine could feel himself break out into a cold sweat. She was in there… alone. A wave of panic spread over him as he heard Selphie's yelp and the sound of steel on steel. Why wasn't he in there with her?! He pounded his fists on the door again/   
  
"Squall," he said, turning to his somber commander. "Help me break open this thing…"  
  
Squall gave a curt nod and turn with his shoulder towards the door in a ramming position. "On the count of three."  
  
"On the count of three." Irvine agreed, taking up the same stance.  
  
'I'm coming Selphie! Just hold on!'  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
Silently cursing (in a childish manner) her slow reflexes, Selphie jumped to the side, her opponents claws scraping against steel wall. She slid back into her stance, trying to keep her knees from knocking together.   
  
"Ah, a quick little girl… Well…" He flexed his other hand, producing several needles that stabbed up out of his glove. "Dodge this."  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"One…"  
  
Irvine tensed, laying all his weight forward. 'For Quistis.'  
  
"Two…"   
  
He grunted and lowered his shoulder. 'For Rinoa.'  
  
"Three…!"   
  
His ankles snapped as he and Squall lurched forward towards the door. 'For Selphie!'  
  
Under their combined weight, the lock broke off and the door opened. In the split second, Irvine could see Rinoa and a female rebel in the back. Before him was Selphie, her nun-chaku raised. Across from her was a man brandishing claws and several needles… acupuncture needles he guessed.  
  
"Selphie!"  
  
"Irvine! Stay back!" Selphie threw her hand back as a caution… and didn't even see her opponents move.  
  
It was fast, but to Irvine it seemed like it was in slow motion. His arm curling in and then flung out, the needles leaving his grasp. There was a shout and they buried themselves in the delicate flesh on Selphie's neck.  
  
"No!" Irvine rushed forward, catching her as she fell. Squall held his ground, not taking his eyes off the attacker.  
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Selphie… Selphie…" Irvine shook her, hoping for a response but there was none. In desperation, he ripped the needles from her neck. But still… she didn't move.   
  
"Don't even bother with her… She's poisoned…" her attacker announced as casually as if they were talking at a café over a cup of coffee. "And only I have the antidote that will save her… and the other…" He motioned to where Rinoa was bound in the back of the room.  
  
"You bastard…" Squall muttered, taking a step forward. "What have you done…?"   
  
The man only smirked and shrugged. Laying a heavy hand on his gun blade, he sunk into a stance.  
  
"No… Squall…" Irvine laid the motionless Selphie on the floor gently and got up. "I've got him. I'm going to get back that antidote! I swear!" He clenched a fist and held it forward in a gesture Squall had often seen from Zell.   
  
"…" With a silent nod, Squall backed down.   
  
"Damn, and I was so looking forward to facing Mr. Gun Blade… Elsie!" He looked over his shoulder at the woman near Rinoa. "Take the antidote. You fight the cowboy." He looked back at Irvine and grinned. "Nothing personal." Without looking back, he flicked the vile of antidote over his shoulder. Behind him, "Elsie" caught it with no effort.   
  
"C-cowboy?!" Irvine hissed under his breath.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll play with you…" Elsie chuckled. Usually if he was in another situation, this would have been a good comment for Irvine. But now… Funny how things can reverse themselves…  
  
"As for you…" The black clad man turned to Squall. "I'll take you on. But not here."   
  
When all he received from Squall in return were dirty looks, he laughed. "You looked like a worthy opponent. Hopefully you're as deadly as you are recluse." He began to walk across the room as Elsie and Irvine squared off, signaling for Squall to follow. Squall silently wished Irvine good luck and followed into the unknown… and possibly into danger.   
  
@~@~@~@~@  
  
BWAHAHAHA!! The evil cliffhangers!! Figured this was a good note to leave off with. Heh, sounds like a Rurouni Kenshin episode. You want more but it just… stops. Heh, good idea! How about a preview?  
  
"Next time on 'In His Eyes' (sounds like a soap opera…), Squall vs. the mysterious rebel leader! Zell falls down the stairs! Fluffy moments! Grand escapes! Don't miss it!   
  
And kids, don't forget to stay tuned after the episode (only if it's the end though…) for extra special bonus footage such as…  
  
CAST PARTY!  
  
'SQUALL GETS DRUNK'  
  
AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS RANTS!!!  
  
This program is brought to you by the severely screwed up, lazy, and spasmodic Toko-chan…"  
  
LMAO. Sorry, couldn't resist.   
  
TO ALL LIVING WITHIN A REASONABLE TRAVEL DISTANCE FROM BOSTON!!! There's going to be a convention again this year at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. You know artist's alley? I'm going to be there! YAY!! Not that anyone cares… anyway, look me up if ya go! I'm thinking of doing art for this fic… Hehehe. Sorry, don't mind the freak!!! 


End file.
